Sunday, November 29, 2009

A Reflection on Gifts

I have always enjoyed seeing beautifully wrapped gifts. I found pages of colorful pictures showing wrapped gifts in a Idealhome's British edition, Complete Guide to Christmas, December 2007. Here is a quote I found about gifts..."May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive, which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love." ~L.O.Baird


The next piece though, is the best that I have ever read regarding gifts. It exemplifies my take on gifts so perfectly. It is written by Ken Gire.


"Most of what we have we've worked for, haven't we? By the sweat of our brow and the labor of our hands. But who gave us those hands? And the strength to use them? And the mind to coordinate them? Were they not all gifts?



Or maybe our work is mental not manual, and we are where we are in life because of years in education. But who gave us the mind to utilize that education? Who integrated the circuitry for the storage and retrieval of those thoughts? Who provided the neurological current that even makes our thoughts possible?

Or maybe our work revolves around certain issues burning in our heart, and that's why we're a social worker or a judge or why we volunteer at a homeless shelter. We live and work by the dictates of our conscience. But who did the dictation? Truth, justice, a sense of right and wrong, compassion.

Where did these grand notions originate? With us? Were they not engraved on our heart the way the commandments were etched on stone? Were they not also gifts? The love we give. The love given to us. Was it not a gift? And faith, that most primal of spiritual responses. Did it not also come to us as a gift?


The air we breathe. A gift. The lungs to breath it. A gift. The involuntary muscles that keep us breathing. A gift. Our waking up to a new day. A gift.

Whatever we start with, if we follow it far enough back, the source is God and His generosity in sharing it. It's all a gift. Everything. We live, quite literally, off His generous bounty.

So great the generosity. So little the gratitude. Yet still He gives. Gift after gift after gift."


"Oh God, you who brought me, without consulting me, without my knowledge of what you were doing or why, into this difficult and puzzling, but also fascinating world, help me to trust you to know what you're doing.


I owe every single thing I have, and am, and know, and enjoy, and love, to your generosity, initiative, intelligence, and power...all summed up in the all-encompassing phrase "creative love"...


Teach me to be trusting, instead of cynical; peaceful, instead of quarrelsome; humble, instead of arrogant. Teach me to stop thinking I know more and better than the Being that gave me my being!

~ Joan Bel Geddes


This Christmas season may I be reminded what real gifts are, and that sometimes in this world we find ourselves in, the concept of gifts has been distorted. That giving of ourselves, our time, our care and concern, can be the most important gifts of all.










14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful. Amen I say to that. Again, I say Amen. Thanks for sharing. Blessings
QMM

Christine said...

Sometimes, TIME is more valuable then anything else. Because you can't get back or take back time.

Nicely said Judy!

Melinda said...

Very well said. Something to think about!

Melindahyporbi

Connie said...

I agree with Queen Mother Mamaw....Beautiful! You are amazing with words and I love it. I agree....I struggle with this time of year with all the have to gift giving...thanks for the reminders of real gifts.

Love all your family photos and those precious twins are so sweet. How neat to have all your girls home and what beautiful girls they are! Glad you had a great time.

Have a good week! Connie

Marty said...

Wow - all that is left to be said is "AMEN".

Anonymous said...

Dear Judy this is such a beautiful post. It really sums it all up doesn't it. For me gifts are the little things each day that make me smile. I feel so blessed that God gave me the ability to recognize the truly important things in my life. Thank you for this inspiring and heart felt post. You are truly an amazing and special person. You gave all of us a precious gift today.

Tracy said...

Wow! What a beautiful take on "gifts." I couldn't agree more with the truth of this post. What a great reminder of the blessings of true, real gifts. Thanks for sharing.

Blessings,
Tracy

Judy said...

Such wonderful thoughts about gifts. May I be reminded throughout this Christmas season to give gifts that truly matter...love, time, listening and caring.

Anonymous said...
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Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Beautiful post, Judy!

Faith-Family-Friends are the true joys of the Christmas season and the best gifts we could hope for!

Kathleen said...

Sometimes I have to go looking for the gifts - their having been mis-placed by this trouble or that worry. They never lose their luster or value though, the gifts of the heavenly sort.

What a great post, friend. The wrappings give a greater sense of how captivating are the packages in which God's blessings arrive.

Prayers & hugs,
Kathleen

Charm and Grace said...

How beautiful these words and this post were. So full of Truth. Such a help to keep gifts and all their trappings all in proper perspective. It's all about The Gift. Emmanuel, the One who is with us... ever giving, ever present, ever the same, yet ever new. What a Gift!

Blessings,
Christi

Happy@Home said...

Judy,
I think reading this post this morning was a gift to me as it really puts things into perspective and is such food for thought as we enter into the Christmas season. Thank you for sharing it.
Also, I am getting caught up on my blog reading and loved seeing the beautiful transformation you made to your garage for your family get together.

a woman who is said...

Lovely post, good reminder of the real Gift!

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